Toonarific Interviews
- Eric Pigors

September 15, 2003

Never heard of Eric Pigors?! Well, you'd be amazed by what you've seen that he's probably worked on. His art is found
all over, and he has worked on many animated productions. His portfolio is full of dark and spooky drawings, and Care
Bears!? Egads!

So, Eric, looking at your current artwork of the macabre, I have to ask.....what was your childhood like? What
shows did you watch as a kid, and did any of the inspire you to become such a talent? Did your family help you in
your artistic development?

WHEN I WAS A KID I WATCHED TOM AND JERRY,BUGS BUNNY,TEX AVERY,DISNEY ,POPEYE AND HAD A GREAT AFFECTION TO WOODY
WOODPECKER CARTOONS .SEE WE HAD A LOCAL DRIVE INN THEATER THAT ALWAYS PLAYED A WOODY WOODPECKER CARTOON BEFORE THE
MOVIES.I WOULD GET VERY ANXIOUS AS WE PULLED UP TO THE THEATER AND IF I SAW THAT THE CARTOON WAS ALLREADY PLAYING I
WOULD START TELLING MY PARENTS TO HURRY UP!

BESIDES ANIMATED FILMS I GREW LOVING MAD,PLOP COMICS,YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING CARDS,ODD RODS,RAT FINK,DR.SUESS AND MONSTER
MOVIES.I THINK ALL OF THE ABOVE YOU CAN SEE IN MY ART. MY MOM TOOK A COMIC I DID CALLED ,"THE SIX DOLLAR CAN"
A SPOOF ON" THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN" TO CAL ARTS SCHOOL WHEN I WAS A KID TO SEE IF I HAD WHAT IT TAKES AND
THEY SAID I DID .BUT WHO KNOWS IF THEY ARE JUST OUT FOR $$$$$ LIKE THAT SCHOOL WHERE YOU DRAW THE PIRATE AND
THE TURTLE.

During the school years, what was your 'crowd'? What were your favorite subjects/extracurricular activites/etc?
Did you have any teachers that inspired you towards your life's career?

IN SCHOOL I HUNG OUT WITH THE SKATER STONER ROCK PUNKS. ART WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE CLASS I TOOK ALL THE CLASSES
THEY OFFERED AND THEN WAS PUT IN A SECTION FOR THE ARTISTS I GUESS THE TEACHER THOUGHT HAD TALENT.HE WOULD LET YOU
DRAW WHAT EVER YOU WANTED ALL DAY.I REMEBER DRAWIING A PICTURE OF A GUY SURFING ONE DAY AND THOUGHT MAN THIS SUCKS!
SO I LEFT IT ON THE TABLE WITH NO NAME.THE NEXT DAY I COME IN AND ITS HUNG ON THE WALL WITH SOME ONE ELSE'S NAME AND
A B+GRADE ON IT.

MOST OF THE DIRECTION I TOOK IN MY CAREER WAS JUST MY OWN CHOICE.I HAD LOVED ANIMATION AS A KID AND I STILL DO AND
THOUGHT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANIMATED CARTOONS.WHICH I DID IN 1990 FOR INTERNATIONAL ROCKETSHIP ,I DID A 7 MINUTE
CARTOON CALLED ,"LET'S CHOPP SOOE! STARRING NURSE HACKIT AND SOO-E THE PIG IN A WARPED GAME SHOW ENVIROMENT.IT GOT
PLAYED ON MTV'S LIQUID TELEVISION AND THE TOO OUTRAGEOUS ANIMATION FESTIVAL.THE EUROPEANS SEEM TO LIKE IT THE MOST.

Did you attend college, and if so, which one? What fond memories, if any, do you have from this time? Had you already
set your sites on being an artist, or were you studying for something completely different?

I TOOK A YEAR AT A SCHOOL CALLLED BRANDES ART WHICH TAUGHT LIFE DRAWING AND ANIMATION.THE ONLY FOND MEMORIE I HAVE
IS MY TEACHER THERE TELLING OUR PARENTS THAT 2 OUT OF THE 4 STUDENTS IN THIS CLASS WILL MAKE IT IN THE ANIMATION
FIELD AND HIM TELLING MY MOM I SHOULD SELL SHOES SO I COULD OPEN UP TO PEOPLE.SINCE THEN I HAVE WORKRD ON THE
ORIGINAL," FAMILY DOG", 15 YEARS AT WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION WHERE THEY USED A CHARACTER DESIGN OF MINE AND
NAMED IT AFTER ME ,"PIGORS." AND WARNERS ON," BACK IN ACTION" WITH BUGS AND DAFFY WHICH COMES OUT IN NOVEMBER 2003.
SO YOU CAN SEE NOT GETTING THE SHOE JOB SEEMED TO PAY OFF.

What was your first job in the animation/entertainment industry? Any highlights from that time?

MY VERY FIRST JOB WAS ON THE LEGEND OF ORIN IN 3-D WHICH TURNED INTO THE CAREBEARS ADVENTURE FILM.I MET SOME GREAT
ARTISTS WHO HAVE ALL GONE ON TO BETTER GIGS ,HOW COULD YOU NOT THOUGH AFTER DOING THE CAREBEARS,YEEECH !LOW POINT
OF MY ANIMATION CARRER BUT EVERYBODY HAS TO START SOMEWHERE.

Now, your pet creation is "Toxic Toons". A collection of completely zany, comical and all-out gross cartoon creations
that push the envelope off the table, onto the floor, out the door and into the gutter. The first time I ever saw
these drawings, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Of course, they grew on me pretty quickly. Especially looking
at your website, the flash animation really makes these characters entertaining. I have to ask, did Tex Avery
influence you in any way? How long have you been creating such morbid characters?

I STARTED MY TOXICTOONS IN 1986,THEY WEREN'T QUITE AS WEIRD BUT I DECIDED TO DRAW SOMETHING I ENJOYED INSTEAD OF
TRYING TO DRAW LIKE DON BLUTH OR THE DISNEY STYLE.AND THAT'S WHAT CAME OUT. IT JUST CAME FROM A LIFESTIME OF
INFLUENCE.

I ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR MONSTERS AND MAD HELPED BRING IN THE STRANGE HUMOR AS WELL AS TEX AVERY.TEX AND BOB
CLAMPETT ARE MY FAVORITE ANIMATION DIRECTORS.I ALSO LOVE THE OLD MICKEY MOUSE CARTOONS IN BLACK AND WHITE AND
BETTY BOOPS .THOSE TO ME REPRESENT WHAT A CARTOON SHOULD BE,STRANGE AND MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN A WHOLE
DIFFERENT WORLD !

ALSO SOME OF THE MORBID STUFF COMES FROM CHILDHOOD MEMORIES LIKE WHEN I PLAYED LITTLE LEAGUE ABOUT 11 YEARS
OLD WE HAD A PIG SLAUGHTERING FARM BEHIND THE OUTFIELD FENCE .WHEN WE WOULD BE PLAYING A GAME YOU COULD SMELL
BEER AND HEAR PIGS SQUEALING AS THE WERE BEING BUTCHERED.IF YOU HIT A HOME RUN AND YOU WERE THE UNLUCKY GUY
PLAYING OUTFIELD YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO OVER AND RETREVE THE BALL .I ALWAYS WONDERED IF A BALL EVER LANDED IN A
PIG CARCASS AS IT WAS BEING BUTCHERD.LUCKILY I WAS THE PITCHER THAT SEASON!

When did Toxic Toons really take a jump into the spotlight and grab the attention it should have? Are there any
future plans to put your creations into a series?

TOXICTOONS HAVE BEEN GETTING MORE KNOWN EACH YEAR.RIGHT NOW IT FEELS LIKE IT IS STARTING TO GAIN GREAT MOMENTEM.
I HAVE A DEAL WITH MEZCO TOYS FOR TOYS IN 2004 TO COME OUT.SHIRTS,BOOKS AND STICKERS ARE STARTING TO POP UP AT
MORE STORES THRU THE USA AND EUROPE.

Being that your designs seem to be more on the controversial side of animation, what continues to drive you in
making these creations, rather than creating something sugar-coated and moral-enriched like all the mainstream
programs that are being cranked out? What sort of slack have you had to deal with from the over-conservative
entertainment industry?

WHEN I WAS WORKING AT DISNEYS FOR 15 YEARS I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THE VILLIANS THEY JUST ALWAYS SEEMED MORE
INTRESTING TO DRAW.I REALLY JUST FEEL LIKE DOING ART THAT PLEASES MYSELF. AND IT SEEMS TO BE PLEASING OTHER
PEOPLE BY THE RESPONSE IN ORDERS TO MY WORK .I REALLY DONT WANT TO DO MAINSTREAM STUFF.THERE IS ENOUGH OF THAT
AND IT'S JUST NOT MY PERSONALITY.I WOULD FEEL SICK IF I HAD TO DO A SHOW OF MY STUFF SUGAR COATED I RATHER NOT
DO ONE AT ALL THEN.I KNOW MY ART IS DISTURBING AND NOT FOR EVERYBODY BUT THAT DOESN'T BOTHER ME BECAUSE I DONT
LIKE EVERYTHING EITHER AND WHAT I DO LIKE I BUY WHAT I DON'T I IGNORE.

Being that alot of your art seems to be paintings, sketches, etc., has anything been displayed in galleries?
Any notable comments received from the crowd as they gaped at your 'monsters'?

THE BEST RESPONSE I EVER GOT WAS AT DISNEYS WHEN I HAD A SHOW BACK ON THE LITTLE MERMAID.THEY TOLD ME MY WORK WAS TO
NEGATIVE AND THEY COULD GET IN TROUBLE IF THEY HAD A NOTHER SHOWING OF MY ARTWORK.I THINK THE GUY IN CHARGE JUST
DIDNT LIKE MY ART BECAUSE HE BANNED ME FROM FUTURE SHOWS.HE TOLD ME WHEN HE RETIRED HIS WORDS TO BE EXACT," THIS
GUY ,ERIC PIGORS DOES THE WEEEEEEIRDEST ART I HAVE EVER SEEN!"

WHEN I TOLD ,"ED BIG DADY ROTH" THIS HE TOLD ME HE RATHER BE THE ARTIST THAT DIDN'T GET TO SHOW HIS ART AT DISNEYS
THAN TO BE THE ONES WHO GET TO SHOW THEIR ART WHICH I TAKE AS THE HIGHEST COMPLEMENT .

I can tell you haven't even begun to create yet. You must have alot of areas you want to stretch into and infect
with your talent. What do you see the future of Toxic Toons to hold for you; halloween costumes, greeting cards,
christmas specials, guest spots on the tonight show ;) ?

I JUST HAVE MY FRIENDS STARTING 4 HALLOWEEN MASKS RIGHT NOW WHICH YOU CAN BUY FOR HALLOWEEN.I WOULD LOVE TO DO AN
ANIMATED HALLOWEEN SPECIAL.MORE BOOKS,TOYS,STICKERS ,SHIRTS.I HAVE DABBLED IN SOME GREETING CARDS.I RATHER BE ON
DAVID LETTERMAN THAN THE TONIGHT SHOW,DAVE IS MORE CLEVER WITH HIS INTERVIEWING.

What do your parents think of your art? Your immediate family, if you are married?

MY WIFE LOVES MY ART ,MY PARENTS THINK I SHOULD DO MORE CONSERVITAIVE ART BUT I THINK THEY ARE BEGINING TO SEE HOW
MY ART IS BEING APPRECIATED. LIKE THIS SUMMERS ROLLING STONE COVER HAD JAMES OF METALLICA WEARING MY SHIRT ON THE
COVER.HE AND KIRK ARE BOTH FANS OF MY ART AND IT LOOKS LIKE I MIGHT BE DOING SOME SHIRTS FOR THEM IN 2004.

Coming from the previous question, if you do have a family, do you include them in your creations? If so, how?

I'M MARRIED BUT DONT INCLUDE HER IN MY ART ,SHE IS MUCH TO PRETTY TO LIVE WITH MY HIDEOUS CREATIONS.

I have interviewed a bunch of people, most of which come from the right side of the tracks in the animation industry.
None were rebels who sprinkled arsenic and rat poison into their characters. Tell me, since your art is very
'distinct' and probably looked at sourly from the religious-freak-marilyn-manson-hate-party, what sort of advice
to you have for the kiddies who are looking to one day join the ranks of the entertainment/art communities around
the world? What sort of influence do you feel these media forms hold over the masses of today's youth, and do
these forms cause alot of today's decay in society, or do you believe it is something else not even pertaining to
the media?

LIKE I SAID BEFORE MY ART ISN'T FOR EVERYBODY,TIM BURTON WAS THE MAIN REASON I WENT TO DISNEYS.I'M SURE WHEN HE WAS
THERE PEOPLE THOUGHT THE SAME THING ABOUT HIM AS THEY DID OF ME.WHAT'S UP WITH THIS WEIRDO?? BUT WHEN MOST PEOPLE
ACTUALLY TALKED TO ME THEY REALIZED I'M PRETTY NORMAL AND NICE I JUST LIKE TO DRAW WEIRD DISGUSTING ARTWORK.

JUST LIKE EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN BELIEFS AND WHEN YOU START FORCING YOUR OPIONS ON PEOPLE IT JUST ISN'T RIGHT,I
DON'T FORCE PEOPLE TO LOOK OR BUY MY ART.THAT'S THEIR CHOICE IF THEY WANT IT.THAT'S WHY WE ARE IN AMERICA ,FREEDOM
OF CHOICE.

THE STUFF THAT INFLUENCED ME PROBALLY HAS ALSO INFLUNCED PEOPLE LIKE MARILYN MANSON AND WE BOTH DON'[T GO AROUND
KILLING PEOPLE.WEJUST HAVE A DIFFERENT OUT LOOKS ON LIFE.WHICH I THINK MAKES PEOPLE NERVOUS BECAUSE THEY START
LOOKING AT YOU LIKE A SPIDER OR SNAKE.IT SPOOKS THEM SO THEY JUST WANT TO KILL IT AND NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.

IT'S HARD TO SAY WHAT KIND OF INFLUNCE MY ARTWORK OR OLD CARTOONS,GAMES,MOVIES,TV,BULLIES,STRESS OF DAY TO DAY
LIFE , EXTREME HOT WEATHER,SUGAR,MC DONALDS, MEDICINE,CIGAREETS,BAD PARENTING,DRUGS,LIQUOR, ,TELEPHONE BOOKS,
PIG SLAUGHTER HOUSES, AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS WILL HAVE ON KIDS.AS LONG AS YOU HAVE SOME MORALS AND RESPECT OTHERS
AND THEIR BELIEFS I DON'T THINK IT IS A PROBLEM.

YEP I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ,"F.U. " TO THE EXECUTIVES THAT ARE DESTOYING PEOPLES LIVES AND CARRERS IN THE 2-D ANIMATION
COMUNITY!!!! AS I WRITE WE HAVE AT LEAST 700-1500 OUT OF WORK HAND DRAWING ARTISTS BECAUSE OF THESE NIMRORDS!
THEY THINK NOBODY WANTS TO SEE HAND DRAWN ANIMATION ANYMORE!! THEY THINK PEOPLE ONLY WANT TO SEE 3-D ANIMATED FILM$.
THERE IS ROOM FOR ALL SORTS OF ANIMATION AS LONG AS THE STORIES AND CHARACTERS ARE ENTERTAINING !!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS DI$GU$TING. AND I HOPE THEY ALL ROT!!!! PRETTY CHEERY ENDING, HUH!

Well, like I told Eric, this was one of our best interviews. Talk about a guy who has alot to say, and from experience too.
We've already gotten a copy of one of his books, "Eric Pigors: Toxic Toons", and the art is really something. I would
strongly recommend it for mature audiences only though, since it is quite graphical. He has also just come out with a
new book, right in time for Halloween. Make sure to pick up your copy today at the link below. And to all you kiddies
out there, sweet dreams!